1645 JOHN WHINCOP. Israel's Tears for Distressed Zion. Godly Sorrow for a Broken World.

John Whincop [c.1600-1647] was a prominent puritan divine who seemingly spent his entire life personally grieved by the spiritual state of England. He was a Jeremiah, a weeping prophet. 

At one time, he had a patent approved to move to the American Colonies to serve alongside John Robinson. This was shortly after his graduation from Cambridge, then known as the Puritan's Nursery. But the money raised and patent approved, he was finally prevented from leaving and spent his life working instead for the spiritual renewal of England. 

And, well, my man is not doing well in this sermon . . . but it is easy to resonate with his sense of the almost hopeless nature of his task. 

It was my lot the last time I appeared in publick to proclaim Gods call to weeping and mourning; and now I present your honours with a peoples practising (though too late) what before God call'd unto . . . and could I show the true practice of it [presently] in England too, as well as Israel, with Job then, I could harden my selfe in sorrow; but (God knows) here's our Misery, the hearts of most men in the Land are grown like the clay, which sun-shine of Prosperity, or stormes of Judgements, cannot soften, but hardens rather more and more. 

It was our Saviours doom long agoe, Woe unto you that laugh now, for you shall mourne, and weep; poore Israel found it true many yeares before, and how soon England may, hee onely knows. 

. . . 

these sad times did produce too many multitudes of examples both out of Ireland and England too, who have sealed the truth of this with their blood as well as with their tears, and with poor Israel here, have no other employment left to busie themselves withall, but onely to sit downe and weep. 

. . . 

. . . remember Gods distressed Zion once more, and then learne to sympathize with thy poor brethren, and to pity them on whom this heavy lot has fallen, it might have been thine; that which happens to one might befall another . . . oh, how can it bee well with the head, when the haert is sick; how with the hands, when the feet are ill; with one member, when another is pain'd? Ye are members in particular saith the Apostle, therefore be of the same minde one with another; weep with those that weep, and mourne with those that mourne. 

Whincop, John [D.D. and Pastor of the Church of Clothall in Hertford-shire.]. Israels Tears for Distressed Zion. Shown in a Sermon before the Right Honourable House of Lords Assembled in Parliament, at their late Solemn Fast, in the Abby-Church of Westminster, Sept. 24. 1645. London. Printed by R. C. for Andrew Crooke at the sign of the Green Dragon in Pauls Church-yard, 1645. 47pp.

A very textually good example of a scarce work. Ex library stamp at lower right on title, early ownership notations of Nicholas Brichono and William Brishono, with a few marginal notes related to the sermon and then a few that appear to be a warm up for a love letter. Two pages noticably narrower, but not impacting text or marginal notes. Final leaf with a hole torn, but not impacting legibility.